The present invention is related generally to a power transmission switching mechanism, and more particularly to a power transmission switching mechanism for office machine. With the power transmission switching mechanism, an office machine can use a common motor to execute printing and scanning works.
A conventional office machine includes a power transmission mechanism for transmitting power to execute printing or scanning work. There are various commercially available office machines each including two motors for driving scanning and printing mechanisms respectively. For example, FIG. 1 shows a typical power transmission mechanism composed of ten to twenty gears. Two motors M1, M2 are used to supply power for the printing and scanning works respectively.
Since the motors will lead to higher cost of the office machine, some manufacturers have tried to develop some power transmission mechanisms to reduce the number of the motors. For example, FIGS. 2 and 3 show a power transmission mechanism composed of several decades of gears. By means of operating a lever L and changing its position, the power of a common motor can be switched between a printing mode and a scanning mode for executing printing and scanning works respectively. However, such power transmission mechanism includes numerous-gears and has complicated structure.
It is therefore tried by the applicant to provide a power transmission switching mechanism for office machine, which is designed with improved power transmission pattern and has less gears and simplified structure to lower cost.